Thank you, Kevin Calabro, for giving voice, once again, to Sonic fans. Thank you, Jim Moore, for giving him a platform. Calabro, for so long more than a broadcaster to those of us in the Northwest, has not gone with a whimper, but with a bang. Generals may fade away, but great play-by-play broadcasters, apparently, do not adhere to that notion.

To wit:

The NBA? "A league run by a commissioner that disrespected [Seattle] and the region."

The Sonics' new arena proposal to Olympia? "A nebulous, vague plan for some building in Renton, which didn't excite anybody."

City officials? "I was enraged that our council members would sit up there and titter and laugh nervously and congratulate themselves over being part of a 41-year history being sold."

There is much than just those snippets, so I urge you to read the whole article. Thanks again to both Calabro and Moore for showing that frustration, embarassment and anger are not emotions just limited to fans and bloggers.

6 comments:

Anonymous
said...

The idea of Kevin Calabro sitting at home watching basketball on tv while people like the idiot that calls Laker games in LA on TV is still working makes me sick. KC is phenomenal talent, and that talent shouldn't have to sit on the sidelines just because David Stern and Clay Bennett are lovers.

Calabro saw the mayor's news conference from his place in Chelan. He heard about the settlement and knew what he was about to watch would not be good. He paced in front of the TV, caught a few snippets and walked away.

"I was embarrassed for the city," he said. "I was enraged that our council members would sit up there and titter and laugh nervously and congratulate themselves over being part of a 41-year history being sold. I was deeply embarrassed and still am.

"I get incensed because people, particularly leadership in the town and the region, don't seem to have the same pride in the area that I do. They sold the legacy away for less monetarily than they should have for a promise down the road of an NBA team from a league run by a commissioner that disrespected them and the region.

"What you're doing now is going after a theoretical building for a hypothetical team. I find that failed logic."

I listened to the Tom Carr interview on KJR yesterday. He said that per the deal struck, it's a specific plan for the Ballmer Group ownership tied to a Key Arena renovation. So if another owner wanted to move his team here without selling, that owner would have to contribute the $150M portion that Ballmer is only willing to contribute if his group is the owner of the team. So basically, this deal if passed will prevent another owner from relocating here, which was really going to be Seattle's best shot at landing another team.

I am against the deal and think 100% private interests on a new arena is the only way to go. B2/Dave Bean also say they are now going to "accelerate the process" and I hope they continue to come up with a plan no matter what the City pursues, since even if it miraculously passes the legislature, there's just as good of chance nothing happens in the next 5 years as far as an expansion team or Ballmer outbidding any other potential suitors for a team that may come up for sale during that period.

Unfortunately, Brian R says SOS is going to once again throw their hat in with the backstabbing Mayor. Terrible idea.

That was a great article. It is good to know how KC feels. It's been a while since I've posted on here and it was such a terrible blow when I heard the news about my Sonics. I just recently moved to Chicago and was still looking forward to going to see the team when they came here. What transpired in Seattle was such a joke. I don't need to rehash how I feel because so many others have done it so eloquently on this site. I just wanted to say that the NBA, Bennett, and the city and state leaders have been operating with such short-sightedness that it makes me sick. The "arrangement" the city has with the NBA is tenuous at best. How long will Stern and the NBA hold the city hostage?